Obituary
John Hilmer Erickson was born in Superior on May 16, 1901, and passed away July 12, 1987 at the age of 86. He had been in poor health for the past five years.
His parents moved to the Bigfork area when John was about 3 years old. He attended school in Spruce Park, MN. He was united in marriage to Georgia Backstrom in 1922. During this time he farmed 3 miles north of Bigfork on a 40 acre tract, and drove school bus, did some logging and worked as a truck driver for the county. His first wife passed away in March of 1939.
He then moved to Bigfork with his 3 children and went to work as a custodian at the Bigfork High School and continued to do some logging.
He met and married May Bishop in 1944. At this time, he worked in the mines, and entered chopping and sawing contests. His claim to fame so to speak, the one thing he enjoyed and loved to do was chopping and sawing wood in competition. He won many championships in Minnesota and other states as well. Finally capturing the World Chamionship Title in both sawing and chopping. His son, Arthur, joined him in 1948 and they won the two man sawing contest and many other events after that.
John earned honorable mention in Cedric Adams Columm in the Minneapolis Tribune when he cut thru a 20" log in 8.3 seconds and beat a chain saw. He served as Bigfork constable for several years and was sexton to Bigfork Cemetery untill he retired at the age of 81.
John was a devoted family man and a father who was tower of strength to them.
His direct honesty and sence of fairness made him respected man in this community and wherever he went.
He is survived by his wife, Mary; four daughters, Lynnette Soltau of Lake Crystal, Mn, Shirley Sigler of Bigfork, Sherry Kim of St. Paul and Brenda Lehinger of Grand Rapids. Two sons, Arthur of Omaha, Neb. and Kenneth of St. Paul. Two step-sons, Howard Bishop of Concord, Calif., and Darrell Bishop of Lake Zurich, Ill; a step-daughter, Muriel Comeau of Reno, Nev.; a sister Esther Gustafson of Bigfork, 41 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. Thursday until the funeral at 2 p.m. in Bigfork Lutheran Church. Burial will be in Bigfork Cemetery. Arrangments are by the Libbey Funeral Home, Grand Rapids.
Note: This would be a son-in-law Roger Dale Lehinger
John Hilmer Erickson was born in Superior on May 16, 1901, and passed away July 12, 1987 at the age of 86. He had been in poor health for the past five years.
His parents moved to the Bigfork area when John was about 3 years old. He attended school in Spruce Park, MN. He was united in marriage to Georgia Backstrom in 1922. During this time he farmed 3 miles north of Bigfork on a 40 acre tract, and drove school bus, did some logging and worked as a truck driver for the county. His first wife passed away in March of 1939.
He then moved to Bigfork with his 3 children and went to work as a custodian at the Bigfork High School and continued to do some logging.
He met and married May Bishop in 1944. At this time, he worked in the mines, and entered chopping and sawing contests. His claim to fame so to speak, the one thing he enjoyed and loved to do was chopping and sawing wood in competition. He won many championships in Minnesota and other states as well. Finally capturing the World Chamionship Title in both sawing and chopping. His son, Arthur, joined him in 1948 and they won the two man sawing contest and many other events after that.
John earned honorable mention in Cedric Adams Columm in the Minneapolis Tribune when he cut thru a 20" log in 8.3 seconds and beat a chain saw. He served as Bigfork constable for several years and was sexton to Bigfork Cemetery untill he retired at the age of 81.
John was a devoted family man and a father who was tower of strength to them.
His direct honesty and sence of fairness made him respected man in this community and wherever he went.
He is survived by his wife, Mary; four daughters, Lynnette Soltau of Lake Crystal, Mn, Shirley Sigler of Bigfork, Sherry Kim of St. Paul and Brenda Lehinger of Grand Rapids. Two sons, Arthur of Omaha, Neb. and Kenneth of St. Paul. Two step-sons, Howard Bishop of Concord, Calif., and Darrell Bishop of Lake Zurich, Ill; a step-daughter, Muriel Comeau of Reno, Nev.; a sister Esther Gustafson of Bigfork, 41 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. Thursday until the funeral at 2 p.m. in Bigfork Lutheran Church. Burial will be in Bigfork Cemetery. Arrangments are by the Libbey Funeral Home, Grand Rapids.
Note: This would be a son-in-law Roger Dale Lehinger
Obituary
John Hilmer Erickson was born in Superior on May 16, 1901, and passed away July 12, 1987 at the age of 86. He had been in poor health for the past five years.
His parents moved to the Bigfork area when John was about 3 years old. He attended school in Spruce Park, MN. He was united in marriage to Georgia Backstrom in 1922. During this time he farmed 3 miles north of Bigfork on a 40 acre tract, and drove school bus, did some logging and worked as a truck driver for the county. His first wife passed away in March of 1939.
He then moved to Bigfork with his 3 children and went to work as a custodian at the Bigfork High School and continued to do some logging.
He met and married May Bishop in 1944. At this time, he worked in the mines, and entered chopping and sawing contests. His claim to fame so to speak, the one thing he enjoyed and loved to do was chopping and sawing wood in competition. He won many championships in Minnesota and other states as well. Finally capturing the World Chamionship Title in both sawing and chopping. His son, Arthur, joined him in 1948 and they won the two man sawing contest and many other events after that.
John earned honorable mention in Cedric Adams Columm in the Minneapolis Tribune when he cut thru a 20" log in 8.3 seconds and beat a chain saw. He served as Bigfork constable for several years and was sexton to Bigfork Cemetery untill he retired at the age of 81.
John was a devoted family man and a father who was tower of strength to them.
His direct honesty and sence of fairness made him respected man in this community and wherever he went.
He is survived by his wife, Mary; four daughters, Lynnette Soltau of Lake Crystal, Mn, Shirley Sigler of Bigfork, Sherry Kim of St. Paul and Brenda Lehinger of Grand Rapids. Two sons, Arthur of Omaha, Neb. and Kenneth of St. Paul. Two step-sons, Howard Bishop of Concord, Calif., and Darrell Bishop of Lake Zurich, Ill; a step-daughter, Muriel Comeau of Reno, Nev.; a sister Esther Gustafson of Bigfork, 41 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. Thursday until the funeral at 2 p.m. in Bigfork Lutheran Church. Burial will be in Bigfork Cemetery. Arrangments are by the Libbey Funeral Home, Grand Rapids.
Note: This would be a son-in-law Roger Dale Lehinger
John Hilmer Erickson was born in Superior on May 16, 1901, and passed away July 12, 1987 at the age of 86. He had been in poor health for the past five years.
His parents moved to the Bigfork area when John was about 3 years old. He attended school in Spruce Park, MN. He was united in marriage to Georgia Backstrom in 1922. During this time he farmed 3 miles north of Bigfork on a 40 acre tract, and drove school bus, did some logging and worked as a truck driver for the county. His first wife passed away in March of 1939.
He then moved to Bigfork with his 3 children and went to work as a custodian at the Bigfork High School and continued to do some logging.
He met and married May Bishop in 1944. At this time, he worked in the mines, and entered chopping and sawing contests. His claim to fame so to speak, the one thing he enjoyed and loved to do was chopping and sawing wood in competition. He won many championships in Minnesota and other states as well. Finally capturing the World Chamionship Title in both sawing and chopping. His son, Arthur, joined him in 1948 and they won the two man sawing contest and many other events after that.
John earned honorable mention in Cedric Adams Columm in the Minneapolis Tribune when he cut thru a 20" log in 8.3 seconds and beat a chain saw. He served as Bigfork constable for several years and was sexton to Bigfork Cemetery untill he retired at the age of 81.
John was a devoted family man and a father who was tower of strength to them.
His direct honesty and sence of fairness made him respected man in this community and wherever he went.
He is survived by his wife, Mary; four daughters, Lynnette Soltau of Lake Crystal, Mn, Shirley Sigler of Bigfork, Sherry Kim of St. Paul and Brenda Lehinger of Grand Rapids. Two sons, Arthur of Omaha, Neb. and Kenneth of St. Paul. Two step-sons, Howard Bishop of Concord, Calif., and Darrell Bishop of Lake Zurich, Ill; a step-daughter, Muriel Comeau of Reno, Nev.; a sister Esther Gustafson of Bigfork, 41 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. Thursday until the funeral at 2 p.m. in Bigfork Lutheran Church. Burial will be in Bigfork Cemetery. Arrangments are by the Libbey Funeral Home, Grand Rapids.
Note: This would be a son-in-law Roger Dale Lehinger
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